Tag: romantic suspense

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Meet the Author: Moonbeams from the Soul by Fay Knowles

Today we’re traveling to Nassau, New Providence Island in The Bahamas to chat with Fay Knowles. She and I discuss how being a newspaper reporter, seeking sunnier climates, travel writing, short stories, a babbling brook, and an old oak tree come together as part of Fay’s past and present writing journey.

Tell us a bit about yourself.

I am a Scottish-born writer who made The Bahamas my home many years ago. I live in Nassau, New Providence Island. I have been writing since the age of nine, penned a children’s adventure story book at eleven and won a school essay competition at age fifteen.

After leaving school at sixteen, I trained in Devon, England, as a secretary, then newspaper reporter. At the age of twenty I set off to “work my way around the world”, first emigrating by ship to Canada. I worked as a production/editorial assistant for the former Canadian Food Journal and Gift Buyer, Toronto. And then, to avoid a Canadian winter and to seek sunnier climes, I took a Greyhound coach down across the U.S. from Toronto to Miami, en route for The Bahamas.

I met my future husband Erskine in Nassau a month after that and we were married the following year. I never did “travel the world”!

As well as getting by-lines in British and Bahamian newspapers, my articles have appeared in Westward News (a former in house publication of British Telecom), the Kennel Gazette (official journal of the British Kennel Club), Christian Herald, and Sports Magazine Bahamas.

My writing assignments have included articles for Bahamas Information Services, travel writing for Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines, and as a photo journalist for Town Centre Mall, Nassau, Bahamas. I once worked as a “temp” for the late Sir Etienne Dupuch, former Publisher/Editor of The Tribune, Nassau, transcribing his long, captivating editorials.

My short stories have been published in The Lady magazine, London, England, and The Broadkill Review, Delaware, U.S.A.; with poetry in the U.K. magazine Evergreen.

Most of my short stories in Sunbeams from the Heart – A Collection of Twelve Romantic Short Stories were first published in The Lady or The Broadkill Review.

And I also have a new book of short stories “Moonbeams from The Soul: A Collection of Fourteen Provocative Short Stories”.

I drew on my Scottish background and knowledge of The Bahamas when writing my Romantic Suspense novel Love at Sunset, which is now Book One in my Buchanan Mystery Romance Series.

And my mini-memoir The Scottish Connection tells of my journey back to Scotland with my mother and young sons to revisit our Scottish roots.

My writer’s guide How to Be the Best Writer Ever!  is “An informal guide and source of inspiration for new and not so new writers worldwide.”

In which genre do you write?

Mystery Romance, Romantic Suspense, Literary Fiction, Poetry and Non Fiction

How many published books do you have?

Five so far + a short story. I am currently working on another novel “Oleanders End”, which is Book Two in my Buchanan Mystery Romance Series.

When did you first realize you wanted to be a writer and what ignited your author’s flame?

At age nine I read a lovely poem about a babbling brook, which sparked the passion in me for writing!

What does your ideal writing space look like?

A desk; an office chair that gives good back support; a computer and printer; pens and steno pads; a window with a window seat and view of ocean or countryside; and a comfortable chair for reading.

What are you currently reading?

I have just finished reading “The Guest Children” by Geoffrey Bilson (The Story of the British Child Evacuees Sent to Canada During World War II)

What do you do when not writing or marketing your books?

I’m “secretary” for any of my family members whenever they need me to help with their business ventures!

What is the most surprising thing you’ve learned about yourself through writing?

That I have actually managed to get books published!

Do you journal write or keep a personal diary? 

I used to keep a daily diary while growing up, but life interferes now!

What do you miss about being a kid?

Just climbing up onto the branches of an old oak tree and scribbling away to my heart’s content!

Which of your personality traits has been most useful and why?

I’ve been told by a former schoolmate that as a child I was more self-assured than most of the other students and capable of expressing negative views whereas the rest tended to be “yes-men”! I never knew that about myself. I think this trait has helped me get ahead in life.

What’s your favorite place to visit in your country and why?

Starbucks! That’s where I meet other writers and chat about writing.

It was wonderful to learn more about you and your writings Fay. Thank you for being a part of MTA! – Camilla

Book Blurbs and Where to Find Fay’s Books:

MOONBEAMS FROM THE SOUL: A COLLECTION OF FOURTEEN PROVOCATIVE SHORT STORIES

From wild temptations to dangerous decisions, an eclectic assortment of thought- provoking short stories.

Available on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2PIAgd7

LOVE AT SUNSET – A ROMANTIC SUSPENSE (BUCHANAN MYSTERY
ROMANCE SERIES BOOK ONE)

Facing imminent danger and fierce opposition to love a second time around, Violet and Gordon seek a new life in Gordon’s homeland of Scotland, thousands of miles away from where they had lived in Nassau, Bahamas, but trouble catches up with them in their little loch side cottage. In the meantime, back in Nassau an unscrupulous attorney appears on the scene, along with a crooked realtor. What they do and the extent they would go to leads to a shocking ending.

Available on Amazon as an e-book and in paperback (regular and large print).
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01EVYUSAC

SUNBEAMS FROM THE HEART – A COLLECTION OF TWELVE ROMANTIC SHORT STORIES

“A beautiful keepsake. Love themes in this delightful collection of romantic short stories tell of nostalgia, bright new beginnings, homecoming, second chances – and the unexpected! Heart-warming stories that propel you on a journey through Scotland, England, The Bahamas and rural America.”

Available on Amazon as an e-book and in paperback (regular and large print).
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B019BS227K

THE SCOTTISH CONNECTION: A JOURNEY BACK – MINI-MEMOIR.

“Driving long distances in a short space of time throughout the United Kingdom is the norm nowadays. However, in the seventies it was often an adventure to cover the length or breadth of Britain. In this illustrated mini-memoir Stirling-born Fay Knowles shares memories of her 1978 journey back to Scotland with her mother and young sons, to revisit their Scottish roots.”

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MXVR7R0HOW

TO BE THE BEST WRITER EVER!

An informal guide and source of inspiration for new and not so new writers worldwide- Always wanted to write a book? Or are you a writer whose career is going nowhere? This uplifting writer’s guide outlines the craft and how to become the best writer ever in fifteen straightforward and easy to understand chapters.

FUNNELS (A SHORT STORY)

Annie endures a tedious existence with her baby daughter and irresponsible casino dealer husband in what to most people is a tropical paradise. She sometimes gazes from their dilapidated porch at the distant funnels of luxury cruise ships docked in the harbour. If the wind is in the right direction, she hears the huge creatures wail, promising to take her away. She longs to escape from it all, but is tied down to eking a living with grueling double shifts in a local restaurant. When an unexpected opportunity comes along she has
to make a sudden decision. However, she is torn between her family and the prospect of elevating herself to a better life. What she decides determines their future.

Connect with Fay:

Blog – https://fayknowles.blogspot.com
Amazon author’s page – https://www.amazon.com/author/fayknowles
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/faykwrites
Twitter – @faykwrites
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/fayknowles/
Instagram – @faykwrites

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Meet the Authors: Torn by Vengeance by Sally Brandle

Today we welcome Sally Brandle to Meeting the Authors as we travel to the Seattle, Washington area to learn how herd animals, Pink Panther, a lake view, and a twenty year sales career come together to create the prescription for Sally’s life as an author. Check your teeth in the mirror and let’s go …

Tell us a bit about yourself.

You’ll find me as the crow flies, or gelding trots (in deference to my 29 year old trail riding pal), about 25 miles south of Seattle—shackled to a laptop, pounding until the wee hours-or the crack of 2 PM ish. I’m one of those horribly unpopular early risers.

In which genre do you write?

Romance in the sweet heat, clean (without intimate scenes), double shot of suspense variety. Not quite a six-pack of Red Bull, but I’ve kept unsuspecting readers turning pages past their beddy bye time. No gratuitous violence, but the villains get their just desserts, and as a former pastry enabler, I’m not referring to palmiers.

How many published books do you have?

Two so far. The Hitman’s Mistake opens the six-book Love Thrives in Emma Springs series. Book 2, Torn by Vengeance, released May 22nd. Book 3, The Targeted Pawn, will release on March 18, 2020.

What would you choose as your mascot, spirit animal, or avatar and why?

I’m definitely on the equine end of the spectrum. Totally a herd animal, which is odd for a writer. I collect friends (if you believe one of them). I’m happiest staying in touch with past coworkers, neighbors, crafters, and being the facilitator for a barn troll support group. A former boyfriend (heavy on the former, as I’ve been happily married for 31 years) once told me when I was angry he could see my ears pin. In all fairness, the dude tried my patience. My horse would’ve kicked him.

What does your ideal writing space look like?

Clean. Organized. Oh, wait, that would be a fantasy. I’m blessed to live on a lake and view flowers, cormorants, eagles, and osprey. Intersperse jet-skis and boats during summer days and you get the idea of my suburban oasis.

What are you currently reading?

The Invention of Wings

What do you do when not writing or marketing your books?

I trail ride my horsey buddy, Lance, work in my yard/garden battling shot weed, dandelions, and grass, and watch a bit of television. I grew up running home to catch episodes of “Dark Shadows”. My oldest son introduced us to “What We Do in the Shadows.” We’re enjoying the series, the movie I could’ve skipped. I’m not really a vampire type, but the werewolves vs. vampires scene on top of the building in the second or third episode had us snorting. The humor’s a bit dark-go figure.

What’s the strangest thing you’ve done or experienced to help create a scene or plot?

I worked for several decades in sales. Part of my success came from asking questions before I struck, er, I mean suggested a product. Researching specific plot points required I phone a weather forecaster in Texas, a Duck’s Unlimited representative in Montana, a railroad engineer in Oregon, and a few more. They provided expert, quirky, and unique information. I’d like to officially thank them here. Thank you!

What is the most amusing, crazy or inspiring thing that has ever happened to you?

My real name’s on the wall at a local museum for volunteer recognition. The wonderful artists, volunteers, and wealthy supporters I met over a twenty year timespan appear in a book I’ve drafted. An interesting tidbit is that the people who had lots of money, but had to work for it, were down to earth. The ones born with bucks, or trying to infer they had (newly acquired) mega bucks, rated high on the arseometer scale. IMHO

You are about to speak publicly to a group and read from your latest book. What song do you listen to before speaking? Or, what do you do to prepare yourself?

Spending twenty years in sales and as a museum volunteer prepped me for public speaking. I do check my teeth in the mirror. If there’s spinach within twenty feet, it’ll seek out my incisors.

What do you miss about being a kid?

Being able to jump onto the back of a horse without a mounting block. That’s about it. I live a charmed adult life and try to share our home and what I’ve got with friends. We’ve had 14 exchange students, along with raising our own two sons. I relived childhood through them umpteen times and I have a few scars as proof.

If you were trapped in a cartoon world from your childhood, which one would you choose and why?

The Pink Panther. I want to tag along behind the cool, calm, feline. I lived in a sorority house in college. Saturday mornings my house mother would join me at 8 AM in a quiet living room to watch the show. We were the only ones awake.

What’s the last movie you watched and why did you choose to watch it?

We watched Castles in the Sky, about an Englishman inventing radar. Hubby and I like to be entertained while we learn. We need to see Endgame on the big screen soon, before we hear every freakin’ character’s final lines.

Which of your personality traits has been most useful and why?

Curiosity pushes me to explore intricacies of settings, careers, and personalities, etc. Reviewers often note that my attention to detail drops them into the story. Hopefully they land on their feet, because there’s a bad guy lurking somewhere…

Tell us about your most recent book.

My second book, Torn by Vengeance, resonates with me personally, as I finally felt comfortable telling an uncomfortable episode I experienced in the 1970’s. At fourteen or fifteen years old, a friend and I jumped aboard a jet boat with some older guys we’d just met at the local cruising hot spot-an island in the middle of a wide, polluted river.

When they cut the engine far from shore, they had other plans beside a boat ride on a hot day. Our bad experience ended without us getting physically hurt, and I kept that tone when I wrote it into Vengeance. Decades later I can still recall the shock and then moments of fear. I upped the ramifications in the story when my heroine and the creepy boat driver she encountered in her past, meet again ten years later.

I’m seeing positive reactions by romantic suspense readers of clean romantic suspense stories, and I’m proud to publish in that genre. If you’re interested in a story with a tenacious heroine, sizzling attraction, and a shadowy villain with a grudge, then I hope you’ll enjoy Torn by Vengeance.

Thanks for joining us on Meeting the authors Sally! It was great learning about the chemistry that creates your writing life! – Camilla

Torn by Vengeance

Look over your shoulder, he’s watching.

Corrin Patten is solidly on a path to make partner in a prestigious Seattle law firm when an anonymous threat from her past turns deadly. She can handle circumstances necessitating a temporary move to the backwater town of Emma Springs, but its charming physician is another matter, as she’s issued a permanent moratorium on men.

Dr. Kyle Werner revels in trust from patients he regularly treats in a community he’s never wished to leave. Yet, Emma Springs lacks one thing, a woman to share his perfectly bucolic life. He’s read about pheromone attraction, but never experienced desire until meeting Corrin. They make an unbeatable team, but convincing her that his interest is sincere while they dissect layers of deceit requires the precision of a surgeon’s scalpel. Can they defeat the wealthy stalker bent on mistaken revenge against Corrin and destruction of the peaceful Montana setting? If you thrive on tenacious heroines, sizzling attraction, and a shadowy villain with a grudge, you’ll love this prescription for thrills.

Watch for The Targeted Pawn, Rane and Elon’s story of smoldering romance, calculating villains, and rescued animals featured in another escape to Emma Springs.

Where to Buy Torn by Vengeance:

Series title: Love Thrives in Emma Springs

Amazon USA: https://amzn.to/2WR6piF

Amazon AU: https://amzn.to/2InlynO

Amazon EU: https://amzn.to/2WLte7f

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100012840931763

Twitter: https://twitter.com/sallybrandle

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sallybrandle/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/sallybrandle/

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/18116238.Sally_Brandle

Sally’s Blog link: https://smpauthors.wordpress.com/author/sallygfrog/

Website: https://www.sallybrandle.com

Tome Tender 5 Star Review excerpt:

“From the start, feel the darkness of well-aged evil, as the suspense builds somewhere just out of our view. Then feel the lightness of that tentative dance of romance as two people find that special attraction, tiptoeing around the obvious …..” https://tometender.blogspot.com/2019/04/torn-by-vengeance-by-sally-brandle-love.html

Also available: The Hitman’s Mistake opens the six-book Love Thrives in Emma Springs series.

Book 1 The Hitman’s Mistake: https://amzn.to/2Koe1HA

Book 2 Torn by Vengeance: https://amzn.to/2IoRFU9

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